Warning, this is a bit of a novel.
Due to the onset of love handles and beer tummy (Not a gut, I tell you!) and a desire to enjoy my hill walking a bit more by not ending steep uphills gasping like an eighty year old 60 a day tabber, I started doing some jogging again, I wouldn't flatter it with calling it running.
After a month I'd built up to about 6x6km runs a week, not interested in times (OK they're rubbish.:-D But hey I'm not a Young Thruster anymore, so sue me.).
All was going well until an excess of Crimbo gift cash and New Year sales enticed me to buy a new pair of trainers. Tried them on the shop treadmill for a bit and parted with the dosh.
Next day, day 2 of a 4 day break, stoopid dons new trainers and after a warm up and stretch, heads out on what would have been a 5km trot to try them out. All good, when fook me at about 4 km I felt a tear in my calf muscle.
OH YOU #$@@ !&*%$$ etc.
Limped home. Once showered, I Deep Heated the twat and then gave it some RICE for the rest of the day.
All seemed ok a bit of deep muscle pain etc, but hey I've seen the sign on Heartbreak Lane so I could hack it. Next couple of days maintained the Deep heat and wifey massage routine, see strains aren't all bad!
Anyhoo back to work, felt ok until I was off on a book quest mission, when the patron called out something and I half turned back to ask her to repeat herself when the fooker tore again! Not as bad as the first but it fooked me right off.
So I knew it was time to seek professional help and Mrs NZB mentioned a friend of hers had used and recommended a local Physioterrorist and so I booked up an appointment.
The Physio turned out to be an Asian guy who'd graduated from the local Uni physio course and set up business. Paperwork and Q&A completed we headed off for the treatment room.
Expecting a bit of massage and a show and tell on stretching etc, I was a bit surprised when he asked if I was interested in acupuncture for pain relief.
Never having had acupuncture I hesitated then said OKaaaaay.
Of the 5 needles he used I only really felt one go in to the muscle, apart from the tapping as he pushed them in.
5 mins later, out they came and then I got the massage and stretch routine.
Today the muscle still feels tight but the 'pain' has mostly gone and I'm a bit more optimistic long term.
So have any other RRers had acpuncture treatment for any ailments?
Your opinions on effectiveness would be appreciated.

Acupuncture is a tricky subject. There is little evidence to prove its benefit, but there isn't an amazing amount of evidence for a lot of what physiotherapists do anyway.

The issue is that to prove acupuncture works better than nothing, you have to do a study. A strong study will be "blinded" - so that neither the investigators or the subjects know which treatment they have received - otherwise their opinions could be biased. This is often achieved by comparing an active drug to a sugar tablet - indistinguishable to look at and taste. It's hard to "blind" a subject to acupuncture as it's pretty obvious if they have been stabbed with a needle - ergo it is hard to prove acupuncture actually works.

So if it works for you, then huzzah. It may be very effective, but I don't think we'll ever really know!

Acupuncture is a tricky subject. There is little evidence to prove its benefit, but there isn't an amazing amount of evidence for a lot of what physiotherapists do anyway.

The issue is that to prove acupuncture works better than nothing, you have to do a study. A strong study will be "blinded" - so that neither the investigators or the subjects know which treatment they have received - otherwise their opinions could be biased. This is often achieved by comparing an active drug to a sugar tablet - indistinguishable to look at and taste. It's hard to "blind" a subject to acupuncture as it's pretty obvious if they have been stabbed with a needle - ergo it is hard to prove acupuncture actually works.

So if it works for you, then huzzah. It may be very effective, but I don't think we'll ever really know!

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Aye, was it the acupuncture, the massage or just the injury healing itself with time???
I've read a bit on Medline, heaps of papers with varying conclusions, mostly along the line of "...no phsyiological proof but patients report numerous benefits and the tinfoil hats issued at the same time have notable efficacy in headache reduction..".
Ah well, the Ginseng poultice may go in the gash.:slow:

Aye, was it the acupuncture, the massage or just the injury healing itself with time???
I've read a bit on Medline, heaps of papers with varying conclusions, mostly along the line of "...no phsyiological proof but patients report numerous benefits and the tinfoil hats issued at the same time have notable efficacy in headache reduction..".
Ah well, the Ginseng poultice may go in the gash.:slow:

Click to expand...

I had acupuncture about twenty years ago to cure the snoring that I was accused of by the tree hugger I was seeing at the time (her tinitus(-is?) I reckon). Apparently the snoring is still there but it was a very calming and pleasant experience. I'm sure it has its uses.